The Fountain of the Pioneers

Alfonso Ianneli's Fountain of the Pioneers dominates Bronson Park. I've always thought it was gorgeous, though that opinion seems a minority view. I've also known that the fountain's "message" was politically suspect since I was a kid in the 1950s, something more recent commentators seem not to realize.

More information here. Some, but hardly all, of the controversy is a deliberate misreading of the sculptor's intentions. I know enough about the Potawatomi Removal to be certain there's no way to portray it without offending someone. It's very clear that many white settlers in southern Michigan recognized the event as a tragedy even as it was occurring. I do support the notion of adding an explanatory plaque to the display.

When everything's functioning, this is a stunning work, with many water flows and colored lights. But that is, at best, a summer function, and for most of the year the fountain's just a sculpture. In real life, the fountain's often been offline even in summer, as the upkeep has always been expensive. I'm guessing that when the sculpture's gone, that will be the official reason for its removal.

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This photograph is an outtake from my 2012 photo-a-day project, 366 Snaps.

366 Snaps project discussion and stats for November 30.